In Wasted, Byron Reese and Scott Hoffman take readers on a journey through this modern world of waste to envision what a world with far less of it-or none of it at all-might look like. Along the way, they explore issues such as why the United States got a higher proportion of its energy from renewable sources in 1950 than it does today, whether the amount of gold in unused consumer electronics can be mined for profit, how switching to water fountains on a single flight from Singapore to Newark could prevent the use of 3,400 plastic bottles, whether the amount of money you save buying goods in bulk is offset by the amount you lose when some spoil. Ultimately, the question of reducing waste is scientific, philosophical, and, most of all, complex. According to Reese and Hoffman, the rush toward simple answers has often led to well-meaning efforts that cause more waste than they save. The only way we can hope to make progress is to treat waste as the complicated issue it is.